9/20/2013 |
Zimmermann throws gem, but Nats can't gain groundRight-hander Jordan Zimmermann was dominant, pitching a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and keeping the Nationals' Wild Card hopes alive, as they pounded the Marlins, 8-0, at Nationals Park on Friday night. Washington remains five games behind the Reds and Pirates in the National League Wild Card race. The Reds defeated the Pirates, 6-5, in 10 innings at PNC Park.

9/20/2013 |
Nats to honor departing manager JohnsonThe Nationals will recognize manager Davey Johnson in a pregame ceremony before Saturday night's game against the Marlins. The tribute will feature a video montage highlighting Johnson's career accomplishments. General manager Mike Rizzo will also present an award to the 70-year-old manager.

9/20/2013 |
Strasburg ready to go after getting skippedAfter completing his regular pre-start routine Friday afternoon, Stephen Strasburg did not have any setbacks and is still on track to start Saturday, according to manager Davey Johnson. Strasburg was scratched from a start on Sept. 13 with tightness in his right forearm.

9/20/2013 |
Lucas makes case for roster spot next yearFrom 2004 through early this season, Ed Lucas played in 925 Minor League games. Understandably, the 31-year-old rookie utility infielder wondered if he would ever see time in the big leagues. Not only has Lucas gotten on the field, he's seen regular playing time, and he's put himself in position to be strongly considered for a roster spot in Spring Training.

9/20/2013 |
Dempster switching from rotation to bullpenRed Sox manager John Farrell announced Friday that Ryan Dempster, who has a 4.64 ERA in 29 starts this season, will pitch out of the bullpen for the remainder of the season.

9/20/2013 |
Yanks stay in chase thanks to A-Rod, CCAlex Rodriguez rewrote the record books to become baseball's grand slam leader and CC Sabathia turned in his best effort in months, leading the Yankees to a 5-1victory over the Giants on Friday at Yankee Stadium.

9/20/2013 |
Lopez wants to stay with Giants, but future uncertainJavier Lopez wants to remain with the Giants, and he knows that the Giants want him in their bullpen, but as a potential free agent, he realizes that signing him ranks no higher than third on the club's offseason to-do list, behind addressing the Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum situations.

9/20/2013 |
Red Sox, city reach deal on Yawkey Way useThe Red Sox announced on Friday that they reached a new agreement with the Boston Redevelopment Authority in which rights around Fenway Park will be sold to the club and an important parcel of land near the ballpark will also be developed.

9/20/2013 |
During rough patch, Mattingly was even-keeledDodgers manager Don Mattingly reflects back on a rough start to the season and how everything turned around when Yasiel Puig was called up and injured veterans returned to the roster.

9/20/2013 |
Home field isn't always an advantage in postseasonIt might seem counterintuitive, but having home-field advantage in the playoffs hasn't been as helpful recently as one might assume. In fact, only one team over the past five years with the best record in its league has won a pennant.

9/20/2013 |
Pettitte helped redefine YankeesAndy Pettitte's legacy will be that he helped redefine the New York Yankees. Roll that thought around in your mind for a moment. Think Andy will be OK being remembered that way? Yeah, he'll be fine with that.

9/20/2013 |
Castillo needs knee surgery, done for seasonWelington Castillo has a partial meniscus tear in his right knee and will need arthroscopic surgery, meaning the Cubs catcher won't return for the remainder of this season.

9/20/2013 |
Braves rise up late, reduce magic number to oneBrian McCann's two-out RBI single fueled the Braves' four-run ninth inning after they squandered a four-run lead in Friday afternoon's 9-5 win over the Cubs, reducing their magic number to clinch the NL East to one.

9/20/2013 |
Pulse: Clubs vie to join Red Sox, Dodgers in OctoberWhen the Pulse of the Postseason picks up again Friday, two teams -- the Dodgers and Red Sox -- have secured their spots in the tournament, and the Braves are the next team in line to possibly earn the right to play in October.

9/20/2013 |
Dodgers aim to deliver, live up to hype in postseasonCrazy calendar year for the Dodgers. The Boston blockbuster, the Zack Greinke signing, the Don Mattingly hot seat, the Yasiel Puig intrigue. Never a dull moment in Hollywood. Where will it all lead? Frankly, there's only one truly acceptable place for it all to lead, given the size of the investment and the level of interest attained by the summer surge. The Fall Classic.

9/20/2013 |
Star rookies from 2013 have blueprint to followDespite their immense success, Jose Fernandez and Yasiel Puig -- as might be expected from 21- and 22-year-old rookies, respectively -- both also had a dust-up or two this season. Whether it be from irking the opposition, the media or their own manager, the duo admittedly still has much to learn about life in the big leagues. Fortunately, they need to look no further than the rapid progress of last year's trio of phenoms for a blueprint.

9/20/2013 |
Hindsight reveals best moves of 2012-13By now, we are well-groomed to the notion that it is not always the most high-profile swaps and signings that pay the biggest dividends. Here are the top 10 moves -- blockbuster or otherwise -- of 2012-13.

9/20/2013 |
Zobrist's leadership comes 'chrome'-freeBen Zobrist will never be called a hot dog. He just gets the job done, year in and year out, and is looked at by manager Joe Maddon as a leader for Tampa Bay, having played eight seasons there.

9/20/2013 |
MLB.TV price drops as division races heat upIt will now cost about a gallon of gas to see all remaining 141 live and out-of-market games over these last 10 days of this regular season. Major League Baseball Advanced Media announced Friday that it dropped the cost of MLB.TV Premium to just $3.99 to follow the frantic finish.